And you can add Franzen to that list too unless he decides to start having fun.

Franzen has been dead to me for years. He's a floater who doesn't bring anything to the game if he isn't skating/scoring, yet he comes out and tells the media it isn't his job to score. Love for him to be gone too, but we're stuck with him.

The other team is allowed to improve. There's no point sighing about how game 2 was different from game 1. Assuming Boston wouldn't be able to come up with a better effort in game 2 just isn't realistic.

Howard didn't have a very good game, but the loss wasn't all on him -- or even mostly on him. If he had allowed 2 goals in each of the first two games, on the road against the #1 seed, he'd have a better GAA, and would have demonstrated consistency on the road, and the wings would be down 2-zip.

If you score 2 goals in 2 games on the road against the 1-seed, and you go back home with a split, that's kind of incredible. Credit to Howard for stealing one.

Now, it's up to the rest of the team to figure out how to win a game *without* needing Howard to steal it.

This is the best post in this thread.

We really need to come up with a way to score more goals. Did anyone expect Howard to win this game with us only scoring one goal two games in a row? I know i didn't.

The Bruins defense is tough, no question. We need to find a way to penetrate that D and score some goals. If we give Howard some goal support, we will be in good shape. If we continue to only score 1 goal per game, we aren't going to win many more games.

A series is all about how teams bounce back. Every game has different stories, factors, etc. That's a good thing at least. Plus, no more afternoon NBC games scheduled. I know that sounds silly but it makes me feel better.

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Plus, the lineup just doesn't work. I understand the logic on paper but it didn't work today. Let's mix it up. Add speed and skill to Datsyuk's line. Franzen could be better on the third, bring Legwand up to play with Datsyuk and Nyquist.

I think Babcock wanted them to focus on team defense, hence the low scoring. You know, weather the Boston storm. He probably counted on a split and knows how to get a better performance next game.

Still balanced lines, puts Abdelkader where he is most effective, and makes Datsyuk's line more effective. Helm and Franzen played well together back in December and could inspire Franzen to grind, which he does do when he's not scoring. Plus, maybe it opens him up for scoring.

New e-book: The Spanish-American War: A Brief History. Relatively short, introductory read for casual history buffs and people who want to learn more about a forgotten war that changed America. Available at BN.com, Smashwords, Kobo, and Diesel E-Books right now. Same link as above.

Plus, the lineup just doesn't work. I understand the logic on paper but it didn't work today. Let's mix it up. Add speed and skill to Datsyuk's line. Franzen could be better on the third, bring Legwand up to play with Datsyuk and Nyquist.
I think Babcock wanted them to focus on team defense, hence the low scoring. You know, weather the Boston storm. He probably counted on a split and knows how to get a better performance next game.
Legwand-Datsyuk-Nyquist
Tatar-Sheahan-Jurco
Franzen-Helm-Alfredsson
Miller-Glendening-Abdelkader
Still balanced lines, puts Abdelkader where he is most effective, and makes Datsyuk's line more effective. Helm and Franzen played well together back in December and could inspire Franzen to grind, which he does do when he's not scoring. Plus, maybe it opens him up for scoring.
I trust Babcock to take full advantage of last change.

I was going to make a post eerily similar to yours....so to add a few thoughts......
Franzen is a corpse out there and what bothers me is that babs continues to " wait" for the 2008 Mule show up. Its not going to happen so how long are you going to wait? It's been what...14 games without a goal. FOURTEEN games?!?? WTF babs. Put him on the 3rd line. This is the playoffs and you play the BESTguys on the best lines. He has an assist but even that play, the pass was a good FIVE feet behind Datsyuk.....if that puck goes to anyone else, it's a turnover.
Alfredsson has also been terrible. He can hold the line when they play him on the point and he appears to lack any speed or ability to hold on to the puck. Hes a passenger on this team right now and if he is hurt, than sit him down. I'd prefer Andy who can win us face offs than Alfie right now.
I'd like to see Helm and Nyquist play....maybe with Pasha. That line would be ridiculous in terms of speed and probably frustrate the Boston d-bags.
We can win this series but the coaching has to outmatch the opponents.....adjustments need to be made so make them. This is a team game- he should not be afraid to demote people if they are becoming liabilities.

Chara is a punk. If he did anything, Brendan should have ripped that C off his sweater. Props to the kid for standing up for himself. Sad he's the one that is having to do it after being run for 2 games straight. Reminds me of that play earlier this year where he got run and had to get up and go after the guy himself, then he got a cross check and the other guy got a dive. Can't remember who it was off hand.

Bruins played the harder game today, but it makes me sick to see them running around at our guys, charging guys from across the ice and getting their elbows up on almost every hit...and getting away with it. Then to have to listen to Olzcyk defend it.

Chara is a punk. If he did anything, Brendan should have ripped that C off his sweater. Props to the kid for standing up for himself. Sad he's the one that is having to do it after being run for 2 games straight. Reminds me of that play earlier this year where he got run and had to get up and go after the guy himself, then he got a cross check and the other guy got a dive. Can't remember who it was off hand.

Bruins played the harder game today, but it makes me sick to see them running around at our guys, charging guys from across the ice and getting their elbows up on almost every hit...and getting away with it. Then to have to listen to Olzcyk defend it.

Yeah. Blake Comeau. Later in that very game he smashed up one of Jurco’s ribs with a crosscheck.

Awful effort all around. The Red Wings looked lost from the start, Jimmy's play in the 1st period didnt help, but was in no way what cost us the game. Boston forced us to the perimeter and forced our forwards to go on one man rushes -a classic Red Wings post season syndrome. Cant blame the refs for this one either because Red Wings got as many power plays as the Bruins and managed absolutely nothing, while the Bruins scored two.

It was hard watching the Bruins run Kindl and Smith into the boards every chance they got, but very significant for how the Red Wings simply cannot match them physically on any level. I hope Babcock has a new gameplan in store for game 3.

"Joey (Kocur) has no fear" -Lyndon Byers"Empty-net goals are for homos" -Al Iafrate

We really need to come up with a way to score more goals. Did anyone expect Howard to win this game with us only scoring one goal two games in a row? I know i didn't.

The Bruins defense is tough, no question. We need to find a way to penetrate that D and score some goals. If we give Howard some goal support, we will be in good shape. If we continue to only score 1 goal per game, we aren't going to win many more games.

If you get 4 goals scored against you by a defensive first team it's usually to much to overcome. Of course, more goals are always better, but first our D and our goalie need to be up par before we can start talking about our lack of offense. Let's hope Wings can get it done with the last change and therefore better matchups at home. I'm still convinced they can beat Bruins, they prooved it in Game 1.

The thing is the Wings should not and can not engage into the physical stuff, the Bruins and everyone else knows it. So what are they trying to do run our guys over and hope for a reaction not rocket science but effective.

One thing to keep in mind other teams will have problems against this team too they are the best team in the east for a reason, so no shame in losing against them.

Agreed. I like that Smith stood up to Chara, but it pained me to see how frustrated Smith looked. He wasnt just pissed, he had totally lost it. And Chara laughed at him. So did the commentators, which I don't understand. Chara isn't a fighter, the only thing he had going for him was gargantuan reach.

The team cannot lose its cool.

And we have to improve our one man rushes. Our speed doesnt do any good if the skater is going up against all five Boston players and Rask. They need to support each other and crash thr net more. I'm tired of dump and chase, too.

New e-book: The Spanish-American War: A Brief History. Relatively short, introductory read for casual history buffs and people who want to learn more about a forgotten war that changed America. Available at BN.com, Smashwords, Kobo, and Diesel E-Books right now. Same link as above.

Agreed. I like that Smith stood up to Chara, but it pained me to see how frustrated Smith looked. He wasnt just pissed, he had totally lost it. And Chara laughed at him. So did the commentators, which I don't understand. Chara isn't a fighter, the only thing he had going for him was gargantuan reach.

The team cannot lose its cool.

And we have to improve our one man rushes. Our speed doesnt do any good if the skater is going up against all five Boston players and Rask. They need to support each other and crash thr net more. I'm tired of dump and chase, too.

Exactly and that's one of the most difficult things playing against Boston, their D and goaltending is soo good and when your powerplay sucks, they don't fear taking penalties because the team can easily handle it. I applaud Smith for trying to go with Chara but in the end it would have been stupid and we can't afford to lose him our defense is already weak without him my oh my.. Chara may not be a fighter but the guy is so strong and his reach is almost unreal (his dad has been a pro wrestler).

It will be interesting how the Wings are going to bounce back from this, if they lose their cool again the outcome will be the same.